New PIAZZA Motor Nights Event To Kick Off Monterey Car Week 2026

PIAZZA Motor Nights, an evening celebrating automotive culture, will debut on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Monterey, California. Designed as one of the first major evening gatherings of Monterey Car Week, the event will bring together collectors, enthusiasts, industry figures, media personalities and brands, event organizers stated in a press release.

Set within an open-air piazza environment, PIAZZA Motor Nights will feature curated vehicle displays, lounge spaces, cocktails and entertainment throughout the evening. Rather than a traditional car show or gala, the experience is designed as a lifestyle-led gathering where automotive culture intersects with design, music, fashion and hospitality, noted the release.

“Monterey Car Week has every kind of event imaginable — auctions, concours, rallies and gatherings — but the week itself never really had an opening night,” said Will Elkadi, creator of PIAZZA Motor Nights and publisher of the Monterey Car Week Guide. “Monday is when collectors, brands, organizers, enthusiasts, media and guests begin arriving from around the world as the energy of the week starts to build. We wanted to create an evening that captures that moment — social, elegant, atmospheric and distinctly Monterey.”

PIAZZA Motor Nights is being produced by the team behind the Monterey Car Week Guide, with more than two decades of experience covering Monterey’s automotive, hospitality and lifestyle culture. Additional announcements regarding partnerships, entertainment programming, hospitality activations and special guest experiences will be revealed in the coming weeks, organizers said.